Throw Your Hands Up High: A_Rival’s ‘8-Bit Pimp’ now on sale

Of all the performers in the worldwide chipmusic scene, very few can match the flair and spectacle of San Francisco’s chip-hop king, A_Rival (aka Wave Theory, AE, Planet Skill, etc). In his latest album, 8-Bit Pimp, Rival stages a 2A03-powered assault on your ear drums, spitting rapid-fire rhymes with impeccable cadence atop some of the dopest 8-bit beats you’ve ever heard. And while I’ve never been a huge fan of chipmusic that defaults to videogames as a unifying theme, jams like ‘Cybernetic Mariachi’ and ‘Show Me Girl’ tell entertaining and humorous stories while showcasing a masterful mix of chip sounds, guitars, synth and vocals. The production quality is top-notch and so are the rhymes; an exceptional release that West Coast chip fans can take pride in.

If you’re just hearing Rival’s stuff for the first time and you’re not going to be at PAX East later this month, you’re missing out, as this fella puts on one heck of live show. Fortunately, 8-Bit Pimp should give you a pretty solid idea of the fresh sound A_Rival brings to the stage. And if you were at MAGFest this year, you can join me in interjecting with that bad-ass Colossus roar during the title track’s chorus. I’m telling you, that meme never gets old.

Available at: A_Rival’s Bandcamp page